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Overview
Reunion Island is one of the three larger islands, along with Mauritius Island and Rodriques Island, comprising the Mascarene Islands and is a Foreign Department of France.
Birds
Notable Species
The White-tailed Tropicbird, (locally known as the Straw Tail), is the emblem of Reunion Island. It's a commonly seen bird nesting along the cliffs and ravines of the island.
According to Avibase[2], there have been in the neighborhood of 96 species reported here. A few of those are endemic, but of those that is only one is known to be breeding.
Reunion is said to have had many more species in the past, but a variety of pressures have combined to reduce many of those to extinction, most notably the Dodo.
Rarities
Species listed in Avibase[2]as rare species on Reunion Island include the White-faced Whistling-Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, Oriental Pratincole, Brown Skua, Parasitic Jaeger, Lesser Noddy, White-winged Tern, Whiskered Tern, Roseate Tern, White-capped Albatross, Salvin's Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Sooty Albatross, Wilson's Storm-Petrel, Northern Giant-Petrel, Lesser Frigatebird, Great Frigatebird, Broad-billed Roller, Eleonora's Falcon, Sooty Falcon
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Rock Pigeon, Brown Noddy, White-tailed Tropicbird, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Tropical Shearwater, Reunion Gray White-eye, Common Myna, Reunion Stonechat, Village Weaver, Red Fody, House Sparrow
Other Wildlife
The wildlife of Reunion is evolving as the coral reef, while young, is starting to teem with life as lava flows begin to be inhabited with tropical fish and corals[4]. While birds and lizards are mutating as they have to adapt to the changing conditions of the island.
Some species of bats can be found as can certain species of marine mammals.
Site Information
History and Use
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Areas of Interest
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Access and Facilities
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Contact Details
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References
- Encyclopaedia Britannica - Contributor: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Article - Reunion, Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Reunion , Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., Published June 26, 2020, Accessed August 17, 2020
- Lepage D. (2020) REUNION Bird Checklist - Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World. Retrieved 17 August 2020
- African Bird Club -
- Wildlife of Reunion Island - Official Tourism Website of Reunion Island
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Reunion Island. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Reunion_Island
External Links
Maps
“To Do”
